Deep Ocean Engineering Providing Security and Military ROV Solutions

With current events as they are, the military market has challenging new requirements that exceed the capabilities of off-the-shelf technology. For those especially challenging military applications, DOE’s experienced engineering team is called into action to provide innovative solutions that maximize technology transfer in order to generate robust and advanced new capabilities while minimizing development risk, lead-time, and cost.

DOE delivered a Phantom HD2+2 to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Underwater Evidence Search Team. This vehicle’s maiden launch was as a search vehicle to the Cayuga Lake Search Project. The vehicle was also used to recover bodies from the New Melones Lake, evidence in a California crime case. The FBI project tasks included survey, monitoring and other initiatives associated with evidence gathering and research.

The US Navy’s EOD MU7 in San Diego uses its fleet of Phantom ROVs, which includes XTL and HD2 models, to assist its divers in locating and identifying submerged mine-like targets. The ROV locates and homes on the target using obstacle avoidance sonar, and inspects it using a high-resolution color zoom video camera. Parallel lasers projecting into the video image provide safe stand-off distance and scaling information.

As many as 20 foreign military organizations use DOE’s ROVs for diverse applications. For example, Phantom ROVs frequently are used by Sweden’s Navy and Coast Guard (together they own 14 HD2s and 3 XTLs), and Spain’s Guardia Civil for general underwater observation and object recovery. The Canadian Defense Fleet Diving Units and Hellenic Air Force both have used their Phantom ROVs to investigate and/or recover spent weapons and downed aircraft.

Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise (UK) and the Egyptian Border Guard both have acquired fleets of Phantom ROVs for detection and retrieval of contraband being smuggled by underwater means, including ships and divers. Shortly after acquiring their first Phantom 300, HM Customs officials quickly found 25kg of cocaine (worth $9 million street value) in a tube clamped to the hull of a ship in Southampton, and 40kg of cannabis (worth $290K) beneath a ship at Newport, Gwent.